Preliminary hearing delayed for defendant in Clearlake resort fire

LAKEPORT -- A judge postponed the preliminary hearing for the Wisedas Resort arson suspect Wednesday after the defense attorney asked for additional time to track down transients who might provide an alibi for the defendant.

Richard Alarcon Teruel Jr. pleaded not guilty to three felonies stemming from his arrest after Feb. 17 blaze that severely damaged a section of the vacant Clearlake resort. Authorities allege he talked to a stranger about how he started the daytime fire.

Teruel, 35, of Clearlake was set to have a preliminary hearing Wednesday morning at the Lake County Courthouse, but his public defender, Lisa Proffitt, requested a delay.

Proffitt said her client gave her the names of multiple witnesses who might be able to vouch for his whereabouts when the fire started. She asked for time to follow up on that lead before starting the preliminary hearing.

Prosecutor Richard Hinchcliff did not object to the defense request and said the District Attorney's Office was also continuing to investigate the case. Judge Richard C. Martin rescheduled the estimated three-hour hearing for May 15.

In the meantime, the defense is weighing a plea deal offered by the prosecution.

The agreement calls for Teruel to plead to a felony count of unlawfully causing a structure fire in exchange for the remaining charges being dropped, according to Hinchcliff.

The plea offer will remain on the table until Teruel's next court appearance, scheduled for May 10, the prosecutor added.

Jeremy Walsh is a staff reporter for Lake County Publishing. Reach him at 263-5636, ext. 37 or jwalsh@record-bee.com. Follow his court coverage on Twitter, @JeremyDWalsh or #Lakecourt.